R.I. construction employment down

PROVIDENCE – Employment in the construction industry slid in December, the Associated General Contractors of America said last week.
The contractors said the industry employed 15,700 people in the Ocean State in December, down from 16,000 in November and 16,900 in December 2009.
Rhode Island was one of 31 states to see construction employment shrink in December compared with December 2009. The state also saw one of the sharpest declines. Just seven states shed a greater percentage of their work force than Rhode Island, where employment declined by 7.1 percent.
Nationally, the contractors said the country lost 93,000 construction jobs in 2010 as the economic downturn delayed or scuttled construction projects.
“While it is nice to see the industry adding jobs in the most states since February 2008, the challenges facing this industry are still very severe,” said Ken Simonson, the association’s chief economist. “Despite slight improvements in the construction-employment picture, the industry is coping with weak demand, declining stimulus activity and a growing political aversion to investing in aging infrastructure.” &#8226